The invention relates generally to paintball markers and air soft guns and the gameplay related thereto. The sport of paintball is very well known and includes the use of a paintball marker or gun to pneumatically launch a rubber ball or a ball that is typically filled with a colored liquid. For air soft, plastic projectiles are shot at opposing players or targets. Each of the players in the game has such a marker or gun so they can launch projectiles toward players on the opposing team. When players on the opposing team are marked or hit with a projectile, there is typically a scoring event.
The present invention is particularly related to the game of paintball and the related paintball markers. Therefore, the invention will be discussed in detail in connection with paintball markers for ease of illustration but it should be understood that the present invention is applicable to the air soft sport and air soft guns as well.
Also, the present invention relates to any type of projectile launching device or any device that is or simulates a projectile launching device, such as a laser tag simulated firearm. The present invention has applicability for use in security and police forces as well as “less than lethal” and “non-lethal” firearms. For ease of discussion herein, the present invention is discussed in detail in connection with paintball markers but is should be understood that the present invention can be used in connection with any type of firearm, projectile launcher and simulated versions thereof.
It is known, in the sport of paintball, that there are many different types of game play. For example, “supair or speedball”: events are very close range games, played on a small field, using inflatable bunkers or similar small barricades. Typically they last a few minutes and the turnaround between games is limited to a few minutes or seconds. Such speedball games can even be played indoors. In speedball events it is preferable to have a small low profile paintball marker that is hard for a player's opponent to see and shoot at, but is quick and easy to clean the paint from between games if the player is shot during the game. Thus, for this type of game, the basic or core paintball marker is all that is needed.
On the other hand, another popular type of paintball gameplay is called a “scenario or MILSIM (military simulation)” game. Such a scenario game is played on a much larger mixed terrain field, possibly woodland or urban environment, the idea of the game is to mimic some sort of “war type scenario.” Typically these games are played over a much longer period of time, normally hours or days. In scenario games many people find it preferable to have a paintball marker that you can attach various third party devices or tactical aids to, such as a fore grip, magazine, sling mounts, light sources/torches, optical sights, laser sights, cameras etc. In other words, in these types of scenario types games, it is desirable for the paintball marker to look and have the ability to accessorize more like a real firearm, such as an M16 or M4, therefore creating a MILSIM (military simulation) marker or airsoft gun.
There is a need in the prior art to enable a paintball marker (or air soft gun) to be easily and quickly converted over from its basic speedball form to a scenario or MILSIM form that includes some type of rail arrangement/system so it can more closely simulate a real firearm. As is well known, accessories, such as a light sources and scopes, are commonly mounted onto rail systems.
There have been attempts in the prior art to provide rail systems on guns and replacement mounting systems that can be interchanged on these guns. However, these devices and systems are inadequate because they do not closely simulate a real weapon or firearm because they do not completely enshroud the marker or gun. Without full or substantially full enshroudment of the underlying projectile launching device, attachment of accessories simulating a real weapon or firearm is not possible.
These prior art systems are also inadequate because they do not completely detach to leave a marker that is totally free from any rail mountings. There are shrouds or mounting systems available, but they typically attach to the barrel or to the existing rail mount.
There is a need to provide a rail kit for a paintball marker or an air soft gun that can also simultaneously easily convert the marker from a normal non-MILSIM setup to a modified scenario MILSIM set up that more closely simulates a real firearm. There is a need to provide a rail kit for a paintball marker or an air soft gun that is easy to install, remove and clean, and allows easy access to the eyes or ball detectors, without the need to remove the rail kit. There is a need to provide a rail kit for a paintball marker or airsoft gun that allows easy access to the internals of the paintball marker, without the need to remove the complete rail kit, by providing an easily removable rear cap or opening to allow removal of the internal firing mechanism for easy maintenance. There is a need to provide a rail kit for a paintball marker or airsoft gun that allows easy fitment of a stock via a quick release mechanism that may be operated with a lever latch mechanism, screw fit, bayonet fit or other mechanism. There is also a need to provide a rail kit for a paintball marker or airsoft gun that has rail mounts or the ability to mount accessory rails, such as Weaver, Picatinny or NATO rails built into the rail kit. There is a need to provide a rail kit for a paintball marker or airsoft gun that does not clamp onto, nor interfere with the barrel of the paintball marker or airsoft gun. Finally, there is a need to provide a rail kit that can receive a wide range of accessories thereon like a rail system of a real firearm.